Page 26

I choke on absolutely nothing, not even my own spit because my mouth is as dry as a bone, my eyes snapping to his profile as we start up the drive toward the asylum. “What?”

Camden sighs, long and low as if he’s completely put out by my response. “Don’t play stupid, Magnolia. Your IQ is too high for that.”

I hate that he is tracking this. Hate it with everything in me.

My last heat was in June, just before I received the information about the transfer and my start date, which means I was supposed to go into heat again in September.

It’s October 7th.

I may, or may not have doubled up on the heat suppressants and while I definitely shouldn’t have done that, it’s been making my heat late instead of keeping the quarterly cycle predictable.

I knew that was a possibility when I started messing with my med, I was kind of hoping for it, but there is no way in hell I’m going through heat unmedicated, or trapped with Camden and his nasty dick, side effects be damned.

I don’t really have a plan for when I inevitably go into heat, though.

It’s not going to stop forever, I just have to hope I’m alone and able to hide with that dildo Eve bought me.

I should probably stock up on more just in case.

Having nothing is going to be brutal, it could definitely kill me and even though I’m feeling relatively hopeless, I don’t have any desire to die.

Especially from something stupid nature has given omegas to deal with four times a year.

”It’s probably from stress.” I immediately cringe at my sorry excuse. “From not sleeping. Stress from not sleeping well. I’m having trouble.”

”Mhm,” Camden mumbles as he pulls into his parking spot.

He shuts off the car and stares out the windshield for a few moments, twisting the steering wheel in his hands until his knuckles turn white.

”Well…” I unbuckle and grab my bag since the conversation seemed to end. “I guess I should get to work…”

But the second I reach for the door, Camden hits the locks and turns to face me.

”I’m pulling your records.”

I blink a few times, unable to process what he’s saying.

He nods. “I’m pulling your records, checking your prescriptions, and I’ll be speaking with your doctor.”

”You can’t do that,” I scoff. I reacted on impulse, it was knee jerk and not thought out, and that means I am going to pay dearly for those four words. I can see it on his face.

”I can do whatever I damn well please, Magnolia.

” Camden unbuckles his seatbelt and lifts the center console.

“Don’t you get it? I fucking own you now.

I’m the only reason you’re still working in that shithole, the only reason Byron hasn’t disowned you completely.

Until I say otherwise, you get to keep playing pretend with your psychos, imagining you’re going to be a real doctor one day.

You get access to everything that comes with your family name, everything that comes with mine, but I can put a stop to it whenever the hell I want. ”

Camden leans in, acting like he’s going to kiss me after that little speech, but I recoil when he tries and that’s when he finally snaps.

He reaches out so fast I can’t move, grabbing my throat in his hand as he slams the back of my head against the glass. Camden leans in, crowding me against the door, slowly cutting off my airway as his eyes search my face.

”I fucking own you, Magnolia. Every inch of your body is mine, and I will take it.

” He kisses me, licking inside my open mouth, allowing even less air into my lungs.

“And when you finally do go into heat, I’ll be there, and I will fuck you through it until I know you’re carrying my child.

You will give me what I want, Magnolia, because if you don’t, I’ll take it anyway. ”

He loosens his hold on my throat enough for me to gasp in a few lungfuls of air but I’m hazy from the lack of oxygen. Which is why I can’t do anything but focus on trying to breathe when Camden shoves his hand up my sweater and squeezes my breast.

He turns my head, shoving it even harder against the window, groping me as he pushes his nose into my hair. He takes a deep breath and growls before I feel his hand move down over my stomach and the top of my skirt.

Camden keeps going, his fingers moving over the pinstripe material until he finds the hem.

He starts up my thigh slowly, his grimy hands moving over the top at first, letting out a low groan before he pulls my leg toward him to spread me open.

That’s when he palms the inside of my thigh.

Squeezing, grabbing it hard a few inches away from my core and just when I’m sure I’m going to get raped in the parking lot just a few feet away form safety, someone bangs on the window behind me.

Camden’s head snaps up on a growl, irritation and anger rolling off of him in waves that make me sick.

”Hey, lovebirds.”

I sigh in relief as I hear that familiar voice and the way this bastard lets go of me because of it.

”What the fuck do you want, Hendrix?” Camden barks as he moves back to his seat and rolls down my window. “Can’t you see we’re busy?”

”Sure looks like it.” He reaches in and pops the lock, opening my door so fast I almost fall out, then Drix pulls me to my feet and pushes me behind him. “Maggie’s been paged three times since I’ve been here. They need her on Ward C.”

Camden looks at him skeptically, seeing right through the bullshit but he’s not stupid enough to challenge Hendrix.

The Ridegeway alphas are bigger than the Blackhurst ones, and this particular Ridgeway isn’t one to fuck with.

Hendrix plays rugby for the school, he’s going to coach it next year after he graduates, and he’s currently learning jiu jitsu just for the hell of it. Plus, he’s got a nasty temper.

He might be sweet with me and he’s one of my favorite people, I’ve seen Hendrix lose control. It’s scary. It’s intense and intimidating, and it’s another Ridgeway quality most people try to avoid. One that’s benefited me more than once, too.

”Do you need a ride home?” Camden asks me, the look on his face telling me I definitely do.

But again, Drix comes to my rescue. “Nah, we got her today. She owes us for missing donuts this morning.” Then he slams the door shut, links his arm through mine, and escorts me all the way to the locked door on my floor.

Something I’m beyond grateful for, and won’t ever be able to repay him for doing.

Smoothing out my skirt, I take a deep breath and swipe my card, ready to put on a happy face until I can disappear into the bathroom to scrub Camden’s smell from my skin and burn my clothes.

I hate his scent.

I know it’s something I’m sensitive to, all omegas are hyper aware of other scents around them, but this is next level gross.

Evie doesn’t stink.

She smells like snapdragons. And something a little sweet. At least, that’s what I pick up from her scent. If we couldn’t stand the way each other smelled, we wouldn’t be able to live together, and I’m thankful she doesn’t smell anything like her brother.

I’m not entirely sure what it is about Camden’s scent that makes me want to vomit but I swear it’s because he smells like vomit.

Or hot garbage.

Maybe dog shit.

I can’t pick out anything individually, either, so whatever he has going on is a jumbled mess that induces nausea.

Right now, that disaster is all over me.

”Good morning, Dr. Reynolds,” Stevenson says as I walk by.

I give him a nod in response and try to move by quickly, ignoring the puzzled look in his face.

Is it that obvious?

Do I smell that bad?

The mated alphas don’t give a shit about how we smell.

If it doesn't belong to their mate, they couldn’t care less.

The unmated ones would only care if I were in heat, or if I were mated, because they use a scent dampening oil right under their nose so they can’t really smell anything but that.

That wouldn’t do shit if I went into heat, but it helps day to day.

Plus, Isaak and I both take scent blockers and that makes a huge difference, too.

Walking in here smelling like another alpha, though. That might be a little bit of a game changer. Granted, we didn’t have sex, thank god, but I know Camden got his grubby scent all over me and that’s going to turn some heads.

It’s like a big neon sign flashing private property. No one will mess with an omega who might be mated bonded, not unless they have a death wish.

Not that I’m shopping around up here on Ward C. Not intentionally, anyway.

God, I am such a fucking mess.

And I really need to get cleaned up.

I frown as I head toward Isaak’s office.

Shit.

He has Calix in there.

I check my watch, my frown deepening when I see that it’s not even nine yet.

Isaak must have gotten a jump on his session or something.

I don’t know why he would have, but I can hear the two of them talking, which means I cannot go in there and use his private bathroom with a shower.

With a huff, I turn back to the middle of the ward, standing in the living room while I try to figure out what to do.

The residents each have their own little bathroom but I couldn’t use one of those. The storage and med closets have sinks but that’s it. Not really helpful if I’m looking to scald my skin off.

I take a few steps toward the rec hall, tilting my head as I contemplate using a bathroom in one of the empty apartments.

They still work, they’re cleaned regularly. No one else is down there to hear me, not unless one of the residents comes down to play pool or air hockey.

I’m sure that would go over real well. I can see it now. I check to make sure the coast is clear then run to the farthest shower, strip down and hop in and when I’m on my third round of antibacterial soap, I’ll hear someone outside the apartment.

Oh, hey there. Just your friendly neighborhood psychologist totally naked and scrubbing her ass in plain view. I’ll be out soon, just have a seat until I’m done conditioning my hair.

No harm, no foul, right?